Humayun Khan
PESHAWAR: Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) has arranged visit for journalists to the under construction Mohmand Dam Hydro Power Project (MDHP) and was briefed on the construction site, on Saturday.
Chairman WAPDA Lieutenant General (retired) Muzamal Hussain briefed media personnel on the project site. He said that MDHP will generate 800 megawatt electricity along with millions of acre of water storage facility. The MDHP is being constructing on river swat about five kilometers upstream of Munda head works in Mohmand district of Khyber Pakhtunkwa.
Chairman WAPDA claimed that since its ground breaking ceremony, the construction work on the project has been progressing with good pace. He added that enhanced security arrangements in the project area have enabled the project management to carry out construction work day and night to meet the construction schedule.
The Peshawar based journalists also visited along with Chairman WAPDA Access Tunnel of Mohmand Dam for swift excavation of Diversion Tunnels has been completed, while construction work is in progress simultaneously on 9 different sites of the project. Mohmand Dam Project Director and General Manager Muhammad Javed Afridi, Security and Land Acquisition & Resettlement Director General Brigadier Imtiaz Hussain, representatives of the consultants and the contractors were also present on the occasion.
The Chairman was briefed that excavation work on main dam, spillway, power intake, diversion tunnels and re-regulation pond is under way in addition to construction work on irrigation tunnel, access roads, project colony and offices. The baily bridge across River Swat is also being constructed for mobilization of construction machinery, workforce and equipment on both banks of the river.
Reviewing construction activities at the project, WAPDA Chairman said that Mohmand Dam, like all other water and hydropower projects, is instrumental for economic stability of Pakistan and social development in the country, Khyber Pakhtunknwa in particular, therefore, timely completion of this project is of paramount importance. He directed the project management to gear up their efforts the purpose. It is the 5th highest concrete-face-rock-fill Dam (CFRD) in the world. On completion, the dam will store about 1.2-million-acre feet (MAF) of water and help mitigate floods in Peshawar, Charsadda and Nowshera districts.
Besides supplementing 160,000 acres of existing land, about 18,237 acres of new land will also be irrigated. Mohmand Dam Power House will generate 800 megawatt (MW) hydel electricity, contributing 2.86 billion units of low-cost and environment friendly electricity annually to the National Grid. In addition, 300 million gallons water per day will also be provided to Peshawar for drinking purpose. Annual benefits of the project have been estimated at Rs. 51.6 billion. The progress and prosperity of the locals residing in the project area is one of the top most priorities. Hence, a hefty amount of Rs. 4.53 billion will be spent on Confidence Building Measures for socio-economic development in the project area.
